ANC must immediately force Chancellor House to disinvest from Eskom supplier
Reports today that the ANC's investment company, Chancellor House, has bought a major Eskom supplier, Pfisterer South Africa, must result in an urgent multi-pronged investigation and immediate disinvestment from the company now embroiled in this scandal (see Weekend Witness report).
This condemnable abuse of public money will profit the ANC at the expense of ordinary South Africans - in the midst of a power crisis which has hurt the economy and which may result in job losses.
To ensure that this investigation happens without any delay, the DA will immediately request that the Public Protector, Adv. Thuli Madonsela, launches a probe into the deal - which will have a major impact on a state utility, and which unduly benefits a political party.
The ANC has already profited by millions of rands from its shareholding in Hitachi Power Africa, a company that is responsible for prolonging South Africa's electricity crisis through its failure to deliver on its multi-billion rand contract with Eskom. This cannot be allowed to continue or to be repeated.
I will also challenge the ANC Treasurer General, Zweli Mkhize, to break his silence and give substance to his earlier commitment to prevent such dealings, and force Chancellor House to immediately disinvest.
If he refuses to do so, it will once again show up the hypocrisy of President Zuma's ANC in this regard, as Mr Mkhize categorically stated in a debate with me a few weeks ago that Chancellor House must not have any shareholding in a company that does business with the State.
In the new fifth democratic Parliament the DA will once again bring a private member's bill to ban investment arms of political parties. The ANC's commitments to clean up the affairs of Chancellor House continue to ring hollow and it is now time to finally shut down this monster that is gouging itself on state contracts.
If the ANC is serious about fighting corruption it will support our private members bill and once and for all end these practices that are anathema to the principles of good governance.
My colleague, DA Shadow Minister of Public Enterprises, Natasha Michael MP, will also continue to fight for access to all contracts from the Medupi power station - given that our PAIA application wasn't fully adhered to. We demand to see whether there is any other such dealings taking place in the long overdue and now over-budget multi-billion rand project.
The DA will not allow public funds to be abused to the benefit of the ANC, especially at the expense of ordinary South Africans. We will do everything possible to bring this arrogant display of state looting to an end.
Statement issued by Lance Greyling, DA Shadow Minister of Energy, April 26 2014
Click here to sign up to receive our free daily headline email newsletter
